Six Werkself players have made it into the seven positions in the rankings:
With the goalkeepers, Lukas Hradecky is in eighth position ('In contention'). After the operation on his jaw at the beginning of the pre-season, the 29-year-old Finland goalkeeper was sidelined for the first matches but then, according to kicker, he was "brilliantly consistent from matchday five and he made people in Leverkusen forget about his predecessor Bernd Leno."
No Werkself player made it into the top spots for the central defender positions with only Sven Bender allocated to the 'Potential' category by the kicker editors due to his "impressive performances" in his 17 appearances in all competitions in the first half of the season. Jonathan Tah, did not appear at all in this category after being included in the 'International class' in the summer and despite having the fourth most time on the pitch in the first half of the season (1,679; 19 games) behind Kai Havertz (1,943; 23), Wendell (1,813; 23) and Hradecky (1,800; 20). The professional journal tributes "too many careless mistakes" to the 22-year-old Germany international.
The Werkself captain Lars Bender finished the first half of the season in fourth place In the defensive midfield category ('In contention'). The explanation from kicker reads: "The Leverkusen player was in the international class in the summer rankings as a full back. He has played in this position in the first half of this campaign but more often in the number six role. Was a stabilising factor in an inconsistent Bayer team." In contrast, Charles Aránguiz – number one in the summer rankings – missed out because the journal's assessment of his nine appearances (seven in the Bundesliga, two in the Europa League) after being sidelined through injury was that he was "no longer as dominant."
Shooting star Kai Havertz was ranked second behind Marco Reus ('International class'). The Werkself number 29 "has reached a new level compared with last season." For Bayer 04, he is not just a regular first choice but now a key player according to the kicker with the addition:"Six goals and three assists in the Bundesliga and three goals and three assists in Europe demonstrate an improvement in terms of goal threat. The highly talented player can (almost) turn the game round on his own as in the 3-2 win in the opening game in the Europa League group stage away to Ludogorets. It's incredible how far Havertz has come for his age and the amount of vision and calm he possesses.“
While Kevin Volland - as in the summer - is once again included in the 'Potential' category for strikers despite his seven goals and six assists, the kicker assessment of Karim Bellarabi is more encouraging: "Great performances, impressive in all three competitions, defensive work has clearly improved." The 28-year-old German/Moroccan has hit back with eight goals and three assists "after collapsing in the pre-season, being sidelined with a cruciate injury and also suspended because of his bad foul in Munich," and he was named the third best player amongst wingers in the 'In contention' ranking– behind Gladbach's Thorgan Hazard and Dortmund's Jadon Sancho who both are named as 'International class'.
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
Show moreTo all Bayer 04 fans: The Fanwelt will be closed all day next Monday 30 June. This is due to preparations for the change of kit supplier from Castore to New Balance on Tuesday 1 July.
Show moreThe Norway U23 international Julie Jorde has completed the move from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Brøndby IF. The twelve-time champions of Denmark have signed the midfielder on permanent terms after her loan move from the Bundesliga to Denmark in the winter.
Show moreIt is almost two years since Bayer 04 new signing Abdoulaye Faye first stepped foot into the BayArena as a player for the Swedish club BK Häcken in the opening match in the 2023/24 Europa League campaign. A day before his nineteenth birthday, the central defender did not play in the 4-0 win for the Werkself but it was "an incredible night" for him on 21 September 2023 as he explained in his first interview on bayer04.de. "I watched the players and saw the fans. I liked it." It was also the first European night early on in his career. He only joined the then champions of Sweden in the cold north of Europe from his home in Senegal a few weeks before that special moment. Bayer04.de profiles our new defender.
Show moreWelcome, Abdoulaye Faye. The 20-year-old Senegalese central defender joins Leverkusen from top-flight Swedish club BK Häcken. In his first interview he talks about his move to Bayer 04 and his targets with the Werkself.
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